Tyrrell

I've shown several sets of photographs previously of cars which took part in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race at the SeeRed meeting at Donington Park in September 2006, and typing 'Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship' in the 'search' box on the right will display all these. Today's photographs are of the two Tyrrell cars which took part in the race at this meeting and also one which was in the pit garage but didn't take part in the meeting.

This car, here in the parc fermé, is the Tyrrell 001 which Jackie Stewart drove in the latter part of the 1970 season, and this is what www.ultimatecarpage.com says about this car:

'In the 1969 F1 season the winning formula proved to be Ken Tyrrell as team manager, Jackie Stewart as driver, a Cosworth engine and a Matra chassis. For 1970 Matra refused to supply chassis to Tyrrell, and renewed their V12 program to field a complete Matra package for that season. Tyrrell was well aware of the advantages of the Cosworth DFV engine, and preferred it over the French V12. Fortunately Max Mosley's March had just launched a customer Formula 1 car, which Tyrrell prepared for his protege to drive in the opening rounds of the season. The performance of the March 701 was lackluster at best, but it bought the team some time to come with something more competitive.

In complete secrecy designer Frank Gardner worked on a completely new car for Stewart to drive. Halfway through the season the wraps were taken off the Tyrrell 001 at a non championship race at Oulton Park. It was a complete surprise to the attending crowd and Tyrrell's competitors for that matter, but a new Formula 1 constructor was born. In its design the first Tyrrell very much resembled the Matra MS80 used the year before, with its obvious coke-bottle shaped monocoque chassis. The most distinctive feature of the 001 was the hammerhead style front wing, which covered the radiator intake.

At the Italian Grand Prix, the Tyrrell 001 made its competition debut, but technical problems forced Stewart to turn to the March for the qualification and race. He used the Tyrrell for the final three races of the season, all of which he started from the first row. Unfortunately new car hiccups forced the Tyrrell to retire on all three occasions, but its potential was clear. Based on the 001, two new chassis were constructed for Stewart and Francois Cevert to drive in 1971. With these 003 and 002, respectively, Tyrrell won the first Constructor's and Stewart his second Driver's Championship.'

Here is the car, driven by American John Delane, at Redgate Corner during practice at Donington Park.

This is the other Tyrrell in the Thoroughbred Grand Prix Championship race at Donington Park, and it's the 1978 Tyrrell 008, seen here during a practice session at Redgate Corner driven by Andrea Bahlsen.

www.ultimatecarpage.com says about this car:

'Tyrrell went back to 'normal' with the 008 after the six wheel P34 used in the 1976 and 1977 Formula 1 seasons. It was the first Tyrrell designed by Maurice Philippe and the last to feature the ELF sponsorship used on all previous Tyrrells.

Young French driver Patrick Depaillier took his first victory at Monaco in this chassis after finishing second in the season opening Kyalami Grand Prix. He went on the score another second place in the Austrian Grand Prix. It was replaced in 1979 by Tyrrell's first ground effects car, the 009.'

This is the Tyrrell at Donington Park that didn't take part in the race. It's the 1997 Tyrrell 025 which had such a disappointing season in the hands of Jos Verstappen and Mika Salo.